Facebook | Diana Cockrell

Husband Sits Outside Cancer Center With Signs For Hours To Support Wife Inside

Updated September 6, 2021

A South Carolina husband recently got creative when he was barred from entering the cancer center where his wife was undergoing chemo treatment, Good Morning America reported.

Since hospitals are continuing to limit visitors amid the ongoing outbreak, Dennis Cockrell wasn't able to physically be there to support his wife, Diana, during her treatment. But rather than simply wait for her in the parking lot, he decided to do whatever he could to show that he was still there for her, even if he wasn't actually inside the room.

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On April 27, Diana, a breast cancer patient, was undergoing her third round of chemo at Bon Secours St. Francis Cancer Treatment Center in Greenville, South Carolina.

Facebook | Diana Cockrell

However, this time would be different than the others, as her husband Dennis was refused entry inside the center to offer his wife some much-needed moral support.

“Only patients were allowed in which was tough because I didn’t want her to feel alone,” Dennis told GMA. “But it’s the day we live in and I just tried to make the best of it.”

The couple's three children were also upset about having to let their mother go inside alone, so they teamed up with their dad to make sure Diana knew she had their full support.

Dennis Cockrell via Good Morning America

“She texted me she was in a windowed room in front of a grassy clearing so I knew she could see outside,” Dennis explained. “I thought I could sit in a lawn chair out there and we could still see each other.”

With the help of his children, Dennis crafted a series of homemade signs which when placed together would read "IM HERE & I [HEART] U".

Setting up his chair and the signs outside his wife's second-story window, Dennis made sure Diana got the perfect view of his heartwarming message.

Facebook | Diana Cockrell

And once she saw it, his wife was understandably moved by the loving gesture.

“All the sudden I didn’t feel so alone in the hospital room by myself,” Diana recalled. “It was such a pleasant surprise; he's been the most wonderful supporter and he's made it all very bearable.”

Not to be out done by her husband, Diana had some nurses help her put together her own window message.

Facebook | Diana Cockrell

A homemade sign reading "I [HEART] U" was taped up on the glass of her hospital room, making it obvious just how much love there is between this adorable couple.

“There is a feeling of being with someone that can’t be replaced,” Dennis explained. “This felt more like being in the room with her than a FaceTime somehow so it was something I had to do.”

Diana shared the photos of their homemade signs on Facebook where the post is quickly getting people's attention.

Facebook | Diana Cockrell

"Because of the ‘rona, Dennis can’t be with me in person while I get my chemo treatment," she wrote online. "But he found my second-story window and set up his chair and his message. The nurses here are quite impressed with him, and a few cried."

"I just know that Dennis is a gift from God, a rare and valuable one," she added. "He sees me at my very worst (especially lately), yet he shows me an invincible love."

h/t: Good Morning America, Facebook | Diana Cockrell

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